Move to Kingsport effort draws 444 families in four years

Dave Price says the mild climate, the low tax structure and the cost of living are just a few of the amenities that led him and his wife, Liz, to Kingsport from Bakersfield, Calif., nearly a year and a half ago.

Because their son and grandchildren live in Gray, the Prices had several opportunities to travel east to visit their family and said they fell in love with Northeast Tennessee.

“We came out here a year ago in May on a family vacation. I had already decided, at that point, that as soon as we could sell our house in California I would retire. We had thought about moving back here. We just didn’t know where yet,” Price said.

But it was his experience with the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce’s Move to Kingsport initiative that Price says helped seal the deal.

“While we were out here visiting, I went to service club meetings in both Johnson City and Kingsport. My wife contacted the chambers of commerce in Johnson City and Kingsport. We looked around Kingsport. We looked around Johnson City. Move to Kingsport set us up with a ‘buddy.’ The welcoming we received was so sincere. People seemed like they were glad we were interested in maybe moving to their community,” he said.

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